this is from a book called "the dolorous passion of our Lord Jesus Christ", which is a collection of visions that a nun (Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich) had about Christ's Passion. she had many visions during her life and also the stigmata. she was beatified in 2004 by Pope John Paul II.
i believe that her visions are authentic, but i really DON'T KNOW for sure... they were recorded for her by a friend and we can't say for sure if everything was written down accurately. but they are inspiring me to love God more so for that i am thankful :) it's UNBELIEVEABLE how much He went through... WOW... :(
it is not meant to replace the Gospels in any way but just to lead people to a greater appreciation of what is written there.
"When our Redeemer, on Mount Olivet, was pleased to experience and overcome that violent repugnance of human nature to suffering and death which constitutes a portion of all sufferings, the tempter was permitted to do to him what he does to all men who desire to sacrifice themselves in a holy cause. In the first portion of the agony, Satan displayed before the eyes of our Lord the enormity of that debt of sin which he was going to pay, and was even bold and malicious enough to seek faults in the very works of our Saviour himself. In the second agony, Jesus beheld, to its fullest extent and in all its bitterness, the expiatory suffering which would be required to satisfy Divine Justice. This was displayed to him by angels; for it belongs not to Satan to show that expiation is possible, and the father of lies and despair never exhibits the works of Divine Mercy before men. Jesus having victoriously resisted all these assaults by his entire and absolute submission to the will of his Heavenly Father, a succession of new and terrifying visions were presented before his eyes, and that feeling of doubt and anxiety which a man on the point of making some great sacrifice always experiences, arose in the soul of our Lord, as he asked himself the tremendous question: ‘And what good will result from this sacrifice?’ Then a most awful picture of the future was displayed before his eyes and overwhelmed his tender heart with anguish.
When God had created the first Adam, he cast a deep sleep upon him, opened his side, and took one of his ribs, of which he made Eve, his wife and the mother of all the living. Then he brought her to Adam, who exclaimed: ‘This now is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. . . . Wherefore a man shall leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they shall be two in one flesh.’ That was the marriage of which it is written: ‘This is a great Sacrament. I speak in Christ and in the Church.’ Jesus Christ, the second Adam, was pleased also to let sleep come upon him—the sleep of death on the cross, and he was also pleased to let his side be opened, in order that the second Eve, his virgin Spouse, the Church, the mother of all the living, might be formed from it. It was his will to give her the blood of redemption, the water of purification, and his spirit—the three which render testimony on earth—and to bestow upon her also the holy Sacraments, in order that she might be pure, holy, and undefiled; he was to be her head, and we were to be her members, under submission to the head, the bone of his bones, and the flesh of his flesh. In taking human nature, that he might suffer death for us, he had also left his Eternal Father, to cleave to his Spouse, the Church, and he became one flesh with her, by feeding her with the Adorable Sacrament of the Altar, in which he unites himself unceasingly with us. He has been pleased to remain on earth with his Church, until we shall all be united together by him within her fold, and he has said: ‘The gates of hell shall never prevail against her.’ To satisfy his unspeakable love for sinners, our Lord had become man and a brother of these same sinners, that so he might take upon himself the punishment due to all their crimes. He had contemplated with deep sorrow the greatness of this debt and the unspeakable sufferings by which it was to be acquitted. Yet he had most joyfully given himself up to the will of his Heavenly Father as a victim of expiation. Now, however, he beheld all the future sufferings, combats, and wounds of his heavenly Spouse; in one word, he beheld the ingratitude of men.
The soul of Jesus beheld all the future sufferings of his Apostles, disciples, and friends; after which he saw the primitive Church, numbering but few souls in her fold at first, and then in proportion as her numbers increased, disturbed by heresies and schisms breaking out among her children, who repeated the sin of Adam by pride and disobedience. He saw the tepidity, malice, and corruption of an infinite number of Christians, the lies and deceptions of proud teachers, all the sacrileges of wicked priests, the fatal consequences of each sin, and the abomination of desolation in the kingdom of God, in the sanctuary of those ungrateful human beings whom he was about to redeem with his blood at the cost of unspeakable sufferings.
The scandals of all ages, down to the present day and even to the end of the world—every species of error, deception, mad fanaticism, obstinacy, and malice—were displayed before his eyes, and he beheld, as it were floating before him, all the apostates, heresiarchs, and pretended reformers, who deceive men by an appearance of sanctity. The corrupters and the corrupted of all ages outraged and tormented him for not having been crucified after their fashion, or for not having suffered precisely as they settled or imagined he should have done. They vied with each other in tearing the seamless robe of his Church; many ill-treated, insulted, and denied him, and many turned contemptuously away, shaking their heads at him, avoiding his compassionate embrace, and hurrying on to the abyss where they were finally swallowed up. He saw countless numbers of other men who did not dare openly to deny him, but who passed on in disgust at the sight of the wounds of his Church, as the Levite. passed by the poor man who had fallen among robbers. Like unto cowardly and faithless children, who desert their mother in the middle of the night, at the sight of the thieves and robbers to whom their negligence or their malice has opened the door, they fled from his wounded Spouse. He beheld all these men, sometimes separated from the True Vine, and taking their rest amid the wild fruit trees, sometimes like lost sheep, left to the mercy of the wolves, led by base hirelings into bad pasturages, and refusing to enter the fold of the Good Shepherd who gave his life for his sheep. They were wandering homeless in the desert in the midst of the sand blown about by the wind, and were obstinately determined not to see his City placed upon a hill, which could not be hidden, the House of his Spouse, his Church built upon a rock, and with which he had promised to remain to the end of ages. They built upon the sand wretched tenements, which they were continually pulling down and rebuilding, but in which there was neither altar nor sacrifice; they had weathercocks on their roofs, and their doctrines changed with the wind, consequently they were for ever in opposition one with the other. They never could come to a mutual understanding, and were for ever unsettled, often destroying their own dwellings and hurling the fragments against the Corner Stone of the Church, which always remained unshaken.
As there was nothing but darkness in the dwellings of these men, many among them, instead of directing their steps towards the Candle placed on the Candlestick in the House of the Spouse of Christ, wandered with closed eyes around the gardens of the Church, sustaining life only by inhaling the sweet odours which were diffused from them far and near, stretching forth their hands towards shadowy idols, and following wandering stars which led them to wells where there was no water. Even when on the very brink of the precipice, they refused to listen to the voice of the Spouse calling them, and, though dying with hunger, derided, insulted, and mocked at those servants and messengers who were sent to invite them to the Nuptial Feast. They obstinately refused to enter the garden, because they feared the thorns of the hedge, although they had neither wheat with which to satisfy their hunger nor wine to quench their thirst, but were simply intoxicated with pride and self-esteem, and being blinded by their own false lights, persisted in asserting that the Church of the Word made flesh was invisible. Jesus beheld them all, he wept over them, and was pleased to suffer for all those who do not see him and who will not carry their crosses after him in his City built upon a hill—his Church founded upon a rock, to which he has given himself in the Holy Eucharist, and against which the gates of Hell will never prevail."
2008/10/12
2008/10/11
sharing God's love
i can't remember where this is from, but i think it was from a website about a religious order..? anyway, i thought it's such a great idea!
“After attending Mass, and adoring our Lord in the most Blessed Sacrament and praying together as a community, we have now opened our hearts to our Lord’s love, mercy, compassion and peace. He has filled us with His graces and blessings and He wishes us to go out and be His instruments of love, mercy, compassion and peace by touching people in need with His hands, His words, and His comfort….
“The poor, the homeless, the broken, the lonely, the sick, the distressed, these are all God’s children in need of His love and care. If we look at these people through our own eyes, or listen to them with our own ears, we may be afraid or repelled, but if we look at them through the eyes of Jesus and hear their pleas with the ears of Jesus, we can only respond with love, patience, kindness, compassion and understanding. It is the Lord’s response to them through us, that will be the light in their darkness. When they see the light of Jesus’ love through us they will be drawn to Him.
“This is when we, and the people God touches through us, will experience the profound blessings to be witnesses and participants in God’s gracious love and mercy in action.”
“After attending Mass, and adoring our Lord in the most Blessed Sacrament and praying together as a community, we have now opened our hearts to our Lord’s love, mercy, compassion and peace. He has filled us with His graces and blessings and He wishes us to go out and be His instruments of love, mercy, compassion and peace by touching people in need with His hands, His words, and His comfort….
“The poor, the homeless, the broken, the lonely, the sick, the distressed, these are all God’s children in need of His love and care. If we look at these people through our own eyes, or listen to them with our own ears, we may be afraid or repelled, but if we look at them through the eyes of Jesus and hear their pleas with the ears of Jesus, we can only respond with love, patience, kindness, compassion and understanding. It is the Lord’s response to them through us, that will be the light in their darkness. When they see the light of Jesus’ love through us they will be drawn to Him.
“This is when we, and the people God touches through us, will experience the profound blessings to be witnesses and participants in God’s gracious love and mercy in action.”
Your Holy Face
song by Paul Lisney
(based on the Catholic devotion)
I rest with You in prayer
The night is quiet and
the soft light plays upon the beauty of Your face
I look into Your eyes
And feel You come to life
The face behind the Shroud
Your eyes beholding me
But if I saw You truly as You were
Your beauty marred by those You loved
I could not look upon Your Holy Face
Disfigured, bruised, torn and bleeding
Repulsed by all, Your Mother (Father) weeping
Forgive me for I fear I could not look upon Your face
Your portrait in my hands
I see more than a man
Images and hallowed scenes come to life before me
Your Mother's face comes into view
Your eyes are hers, it's true
I gaze in wonder, feeling peace
Her gentle smile soothing
The Cross is plain to see
The light of love emblazoned in Your countenance
Promising life to all who will believe
But in the shadows of Your face
A darker Cross reveals its place
Showing me the price You paid to loose the
chains that bind me
But when I see myself through Your eyes
And understand that Your beauty
Was marred by all the wrong I've ever done
You bore the ugliness of all my sins
It was my sins that scourged and crowned You
Bruised Your Face and spit upon You
Emotions well within my body
Still I doubt my sincerity
How hard it is to hear and bear, my Lord, I hide in shame
For surely if I loved You, I would look upon Your face
Lord give me the courage, help me look upon Your face
Upon Your Holy Face
May the light of Thy face shine upon us
Upon Your Holy Face
(based on the Catholic devotion)
I rest with You in prayer
The night is quiet and
the soft light plays upon the beauty of Your face
I look into Your eyes
And feel You come to life
The face behind the Shroud
Your eyes beholding me
But if I saw You truly as You were
Your beauty marred by those You loved
I could not look upon Your Holy Face
Disfigured, bruised, torn and bleeding
Repulsed by all, Your Mother (Father) weeping
Forgive me for I fear I could not look upon Your face
Your portrait in my hands
I see more than a man
Images and hallowed scenes come to life before me
Your Mother's face comes into view
Your eyes are hers, it's true
I gaze in wonder, feeling peace
Her gentle smile soothing
The Cross is plain to see
The light of love emblazoned in Your countenance
Promising life to all who will believe
But in the shadows of Your face
A darker Cross reveals its place
Showing me the price You paid to loose the
chains that bind me
But when I see myself through Your eyes
And understand that Your beauty
Was marred by all the wrong I've ever done
You bore the ugliness of all my sins
It was my sins that scourged and crowned You
Bruised Your Face and spit upon You
Emotions well within my body
Still I doubt my sincerity
How hard it is to hear and bear, my Lord, I hide in shame
For surely if I loved You, I would look upon Your face
Lord give me the courage, help me look upon Your face
Upon Your Holy Face
May the light of Thy face shine upon us
Upon Your Holy Face
quotes from St Faustina's diary
"My daughter, do you think you have written enough about My mercy? what you have written is but a drop compared to the ocean. I am Love and Mercy Itself. there is no misery that could be a match for My mercy; neither will misery exhaust it, because as it is being granted - it increases. the soul that trusts in My mercy is most fortunate, because I Myself take care of it"
"Know, My daughter, that between Me and you there is a bottomless abyss, an abyss which separates the Creator from the creature. but this abyss is filled with My Mercy. I raise you up to Myself, not that I have need of you, but it is solely out of mercy that I grant you the grace of union with Myself"
"when you reflect upon what I tell you in the depths of your heart, you profit more than if you had read many books. oh, if souls would only want to listen to My voice when I am speaking in the depths of their hearts, they would reach the peak of holiness in a short time"
"My Heart overflows with great mercy for souls, and especially for poor sinners…It is for them that the Blood and Water flowed from My Heart as from a fount overflowing with mercy. For them I dwell in the tabernacle as King of Mercy."
"...I want to teach you spiritual childhood.. I want you to be very little, because when you are little, I carry you close to My Heart.."
"Yes, when you are obedient I take away your weakness and replace it with My strength. I am very surprised that souls do not want to make that exchange with Me"
"The flames of mercy are burning Me - clamoring to be spent; I want to keep pouring them out upon souls; souls just don't want to believe in My goodness"
"You see what you are of yourself, but do not be frightened at this. if I were to reveal to you the whole misery that you are, you would die of terror. However, be aware of what you are. Because you are such a great misery, I have revealed to you the whole ocean of My Mercy. I seek and desire souls like yours, but they are few. Your great trust in Me forces Me to continuously grant you graces. You have great and incomprehensible rights over My Heart, for you are a daughter of complete trust. You would not have been able to bear the magnitude of the love which I have for you if I had revealed it to you fully here on earth. I often give you a glimpse of it, but know that this is only an exceptional grace from Me. My love and mercy knows no bounds"
"When I met the Lord I humbled myself and said, 'Jesus, it seems that You do not associate intimately with such wretched people as I'. "Be at peace, My daughter, it is precisely through such misery that I want to show the power of My Mercy"
"My daughter, know that if I allow you to feel and have a more profound knowledge of My sufferings, that is a grace from Me. But when your mind is dimmed and your sufferings are great, it is then that you take an active part in My Passion, and I am conforming you more fully to Myself. It is your task to submit yourself to My will at such time, more than at others… "
"Know, My daughter, that between Me and you there is a bottomless abyss, an abyss which separates the Creator from the creature. but this abyss is filled with My Mercy. I raise you up to Myself, not that I have need of you, but it is solely out of mercy that I grant you the grace of union with Myself"
"when you reflect upon what I tell you in the depths of your heart, you profit more than if you had read many books. oh, if souls would only want to listen to My voice when I am speaking in the depths of their hearts, they would reach the peak of holiness in a short time"
"My Heart overflows with great mercy for souls, and especially for poor sinners…It is for them that the Blood and Water flowed from My Heart as from a fount overflowing with mercy. For them I dwell in the tabernacle as King of Mercy."
"...I want to teach you spiritual childhood.. I want you to be very little, because when you are little, I carry you close to My Heart.."
"Yes, when you are obedient I take away your weakness and replace it with My strength. I am very surprised that souls do not want to make that exchange with Me"
"The flames of mercy are burning Me - clamoring to be spent; I want to keep pouring them out upon souls; souls just don't want to believe in My goodness"
"You see what you are of yourself, but do not be frightened at this. if I were to reveal to you the whole misery that you are, you would die of terror. However, be aware of what you are. Because you are such a great misery, I have revealed to you the whole ocean of My Mercy. I seek and desire souls like yours, but they are few. Your great trust in Me forces Me to continuously grant you graces. You have great and incomprehensible rights over My Heart, for you are a daughter of complete trust. You would not have been able to bear the magnitude of the love which I have for you if I had revealed it to you fully here on earth. I often give you a glimpse of it, but know that this is only an exceptional grace from Me. My love and mercy knows no bounds"
"When I met the Lord I humbled myself and said, 'Jesus, it seems that You do not associate intimately with such wretched people as I'. "Be at peace, My daughter, it is precisely through such misery that I want to show the power of My Mercy"
"My daughter, know that if I allow you to feel and have a more profound knowledge of My sufferings, that is a grace from Me. But when your mind is dimmed and your sufferings are great, it is then that you take an active part in My Passion, and I am conforming you more fully to Myself. It is your task to submit yourself to My will at such time, more than at others… "
today..
today is a horrible day
i don't even know what happened...
this weekend is Thanksgiving
and i was really looking forward to spending time with my family
yesterday i was talking to my mom over the phone and we were planning the dinner, and we were both so excited about it
and now there's not going to be anything,
there's just too much stuff going on at home..
i don't have the strength to write about it
i honestly feel like the devil is trying to destroy my family
i want to pray ..for my family, for us all to turn to the Lord..
i wish i could go to Mass today, but the church is too far away..i don't know if there's a bus that goes there; i even considered walking - that's how desperately i want to just go and pray before the Blessed Sacrament.. and i looked up the map for St Pauls but couldn't figure it out :(
so i'm just sitting here at my computer and crying because i don't know what else to do
i have soo much homework to do as well but i'm not going to do it..not today
Lord give me strength
take away all this darkness..
Lord have mercy
Jesus thank You that You never abandon us.. i will still praise You through this storm
"O Divine Eternal Father, in union with your Divine Son and the Holy Spirit, And through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg You to destroy the power of your greatest enemy— the evil spirits. Cast them into the deepest recesses of hell And chain them there forever! Take possession of your Kingdom Which you have created And which is rightfully yours. Heavenly Father, Give us the reign Of the Sacred Heart of Jesus And the Immaculate Heart of Mary. I repeat this prayer Out of pure love for You With every beat of my heart And with every breath I take. Amen"
edit:
something so wonderful happened the next day!! praise God! thank You Lord for answering my prayers!! thank You Mary for your intercession! the day after i wrote this, we all went to church as a family for the first time in months. i know this was a miracle, there is no other way this could have happened. we almost never go to church together. and that day was the LEAST LIKELY day for this to happen. :)
i don't even know what happened...
this weekend is Thanksgiving
and i was really looking forward to spending time with my family
yesterday i was talking to my mom over the phone and we were planning the dinner, and we were both so excited about it
and now there's not going to be anything,
there's just too much stuff going on at home..
i don't have the strength to write about it
i honestly feel like the devil is trying to destroy my family
i want to pray ..for my family, for us all to turn to the Lord..
i wish i could go to Mass today, but the church is too far away..i don't know if there's a bus that goes there; i even considered walking - that's how desperately i want to just go and pray before the Blessed Sacrament.. and i looked up the map for St Pauls but couldn't figure it out :(
so i'm just sitting here at my computer and crying because i don't know what else to do
i have soo much homework to do as well but i'm not going to do it..not today
Lord give me strength
take away all this darkness..
Lord have mercy
Jesus thank You that You never abandon us.. i will still praise You through this storm
"O Divine Eternal Father, in union with your Divine Son and the Holy Spirit, And through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg You to destroy the power of your greatest enemy— the evil spirits. Cast them into the deepest recesses of hell And chain them there forever! Take possession of your Kingdom Which you have created And which is rightfully yours. Heavenly Father, Give us the reign Of the Sacred Heart of Jesus And the Immaculate Heart of Mary. I repeat this prayer Out of pure love for You With every beat of my heart And with every breath I take. Amen"
edit:
something so wonderful happened the next day!! praise God! thank You Lord for answering my prayers!! thank You Mary for your intercession! the day after i wrote this, we all went to church as a family for the first time in months. i know this was a miracle, there is no other way this could have happened. we almost never go to church together. and that day was the LEAST LIKELY day for this to happen. :)
the person i want to be
i wrote this several days ago in my journal..
to love God with all my heart, mind, and soul
to love neighbour as myself
to care more about how God feels than how i feel
to care more about others' suffering than my own
to rejoice with those who rejoice
to weep with those who weep
to never be jealous of anybody
to be ready to go through any suffering for God
to not be afraid of the future, but commit it to Him
to choose to do God's will no matter how difficult or scary it is
to die to self
to die to the world
to be a prayer warrior, not ever being lazy to pray and intercede for others
to be humble
to hate my sins but trust always in God's mercy
to never lose trust in Jesus, regardless of how i feel
to not rely on my feelings
to see Christ in the poor, the lonely, the sick, the helpless
to have simple childlike faith and not take pride in anything i understand
to pray for the world and for unity in the Church
to love God more than His gifts
to bear wrongs patiently
to not be judgemental towards others
to keep my eyes on Christ and what is eternal, not on what is temporary
to give myself entirely to God
to always love Jesus in the Eucharist
to share my faith more
to show God's love and mercy to others through actions, words, and prayers
to rely on God's grace not on my self for all this
to love God with all my heart, mind, and soul
to love neighbour as myself
to care more about how God feels than how i feel
to care more about others' suffering than my own
to rejoice with those who rejoice
to weep with those who weep
to never be jealous of anybody
to be ready to go through any suffering for God
to not be afraid of the future, but commit it to Him
to choose to do God's will no matter how difficult or scary it is
to die to self
to die to the world
to be a prayer warrior, not ever being lazy to pray and intercede for others
to be humble
to hate my sins but trust always in God's mercy
to never lose trust in Jesus, regardless of how i feel
to not rely on my feelings
to see Christ in the poor, the lonely, the sick, the helpless
to have simple childlike faith and not take pride in anything i understand
to pray for the world and for unity in the Church
to love God more than His gifts
to bear wrongs patiently
to not be judgemental towards others
to keep my eyes on Christ and what is eternal, not on what is temporary
to give myself entirely to God
to always love Jesus in the Eucharist
to share my faith more
to show God's love and mercy to others through actions, words, and prayers
to rely on God's grace not on my self for all this
2008/09/29
what Adoration really is
to adore: "To love with one's entire heart and soul; regard with deep respect and affection"
I had this realization yesterday...when we go to Eucharistic Adoration.. this is the God we are worshipping:
Revelation 5
Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals." Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth." Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!" The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Jesus is love.. He's the source of...all wisdom, all power, all glory.. He owns everything! ALL authority has been given to Him. He can create another world right now or destroy this one, He can do anything! ALL CREATION shouts His praise. All the earth! and the heavens! and one day, everyone - every single person who ever lived - will fall down before Him...every knee shall bow.. and He's the only one worthy of our worship! He deserves to be lived for, died for, He deserves all the love we have in our hearts..and more..
and..He's RIGHT IN FRONT OF US!! His glory is hidden.. but He is there...
it's almost unbelievable!
He has so much humility..to not only become a human being and die for us, but to then become the Eucharist, and nourish us with His very Body and Blood. wow!! this is the great secret...that the God of the universe loves us more than even His own glory...that He would hide His majesty so that we can approach Him..and remain hidden in bread and wine for love of us.. even though WE have hurt Him with our sins. how can we deserve something like this?? it's impossible to deserve! this is how great His mercy is!
Mercy is His greatest attribute and glorifies Him more than anything else (St Faustina)
it is only His love that makes this bearable for Him, because I can't imagine how our Lord could possibly become ..something so small..and stay alone in the Tabernacle day and night for our sake
that is how much He loves each of us! And all that He wants is for us to love Him in return with all our hearts, to give ourselves to Him as He gives Himself to us. :) this is what we were created for
I had this realization yesterday...when we go to Eucharistic Adoration.. this is the God we are worshipping:
Revelation 5
Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals." Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth." Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!" The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Jesus is love.. He's the source of...all wisdom, all power, all glory.. He owns everything! ALL authority has been given to Him. He can create another world right now or destroy this one, He can do anything! ALL CREATION shouts His praise. All the earth! and the heavens! and one day, everyone - every single person who ever lived - will fall down before Him...every knee shall bow.. and He's the only one worthy of our worship! He deserves to be lived for, died for, He deserves all the love we have in our hearts..and more..
and..He's RIGHT IN FRONT OF US!! His glory is hidden.. but He is there...
it's almost unbelievable!
He has so much humility..to not only become a human being and die for us, but to then become the Eucharist, and nourish us with His very Body and Blood. wow!! this is the great secret...that the God of the universe loves us more than even His own glory...that He would hide His majesty so that we can approach Him..and remain hidden in bread and wine for love of us.. even though WE have hurt Him with our sins. how can we deserve something like this?? it's impossible to deserve! this is how great His mercy is!
Mercy is His greatest attribute and glorifies Him more than anything else (St Faustina)
it is only His love that makes this bearable for Him, because I can't imagine how our Lord could possibly become ..something so small..and stay alone in the Tabernacle day and night for our sake
that is how much He loves each of us! And all that He wants is for us to love Him in return with all our hearts, to give ourselves to Him as He gives Himself to us. :) this is what we were created for
2008/09/20
sin
someone shared this with me.. and it really made me think
"What would you do if Jesus walked in and caught you in the act? Imagine His face full of tears, watching you destroy yourself in whatever way it is you destroy yourself. Imagine Him asking you "why are you doing this?" Imagine yourself trying to come up with some excuse to explain this behaviour that will sound adequate, and coming up blank. And when He reaches out to you to take away your pain, imagine yourself slapping His hand away because you don't want to stop. "Not yet. Just a little longer. I still need it. I can't let it go." So He sits down on your floor and tells you that He isn't going to leave you; He just sits there and watches you. And you, needing so badly to keep destroying yourself, continue with the behaviours. He just sits and watches you, crying for you, silently inviting you come crawl up in His lap and find peace from your pain. But you don't, because you think you need to keep going with what you were doing. Because you want to keep going. "I'll be there soon, Jesus. Just let me finish first." So you keep bingeing, or purging, or chewing and spitting, or starving, or cutting yourself, or doing drugs, or having sex, or hurting someone, or allowing someone else to hurt you. While He watches.
How am I going to justify this? When really, in light of eternity, there is no excuse that comes close to being good enough..
I am breaking God's heart."
"What would you do if Jesus walked in and caught you in the act? Imagine His face full of tears, watching you destroy yourself in whatever way it is you destroy yourself. Imagine Him asking you "why are you doing this?" Imagine yourself trying to come up with some excuse to explain this behaviour that will sound adequate, and coming up blank. And when He reaches out to you to take away your pain, imagine yourself slapping His hand away because you don't want to stop. "Not yet. Just a little longer. I still need it. I can't let it go." So He sits down on your floor and tells you that He isn't going to leave you; He just sits there and watches you. And you, needing so badly to keep destroying yourself, continue with the behaviours. He just sits and watches you, crying for you, silently inviting you come crawl up in His lap and find peace from your pain. But you don't, because you think you need to keep going with what you were doing. Because you want to keep going. "I'll be there soon, Jesus. Just let me finish first." So you keep bingeing, or purging, or chewing and spitting, or starving, or cutting yourself, or doing drugs, or having sex, or hurting someone, or allowing someone else to hurt you. While He watches.
How am I going to justify this? When really, in light of eternity, there is no excuse that comes close to being good enough..
I am breaking God's heart."
2008/09/17
the parable of the lost son
this is one of my favourite passages from the Bible..
11Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. 12The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. 13"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 17"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' 20So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21"The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.[a]' 22"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. 24For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate. 25"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.' 28"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!' 31" 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "
11Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. 12The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. 13"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 17"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' 20So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21"The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.[a]' 22"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. 24For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate. 25"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.' 28"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!' 31" 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "
Pope Benedict's quote about suffering
when i read this i thought ..this is very true.. i never saw it this way.
i think God had a choice regarding all the suffering in the world..to either take it all away in a moment..
or, to share in our suffering out of love for us and then take it away.
“In order to heal us, He does not remain outside the suffering that is experienced, He eases it by coming to dwell with the one stricken by illness, to bear it and to live with him. Christ’s presence comes to break the isolation which pain induces. Man no longer bears his burden alone. As a suffering member of Christ, he is conformed to Christ in his self-offering to the father.”
Pope Benedict
i think God had a choice regarding all the suffering in the world..to either take it all away in a moment..
or, to share in our suffering out of love for us and then take it away.
“In order to heal us, He does not remain outside the suffering that is experienced, He eases it by coming to dwell with the one stricken by illness, to bear it and to live with him. Christ’s presence comes to break the isolation which pain induces. Man no longer bears his burden alone. As a suffering member of Christ, he is conformed to Christ in his self-offering to the father.”
Pope Benedict
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
